Asante-Akim South assesses disability fund impact on beneficiaries

The disbursement of the Disability Fund, a three per cent package from the District Assemblies Common Fund, has in the last few years shifted from giving monies to beneficiaries to the provision of items that could harness their economic potentials.

The goal is to empower People With Disabilities (PWDs) to engage in economic activities to earn and sustain their livelihoods.

However, the possibility of some of the beneficiaries selling such items to remain impoverished is a looming bottleneck that defeats the purpose for the paradigm shift.

It is against this background that the Asante-Akim South Municipal Assembly is moving a step further to initiate an impact assessment exercise to ensure that beneficiaries are doing the right things, after receiving the package.

For the first time, the Assembly through the Department of Social Welfare has moved to beneficiaries’ respective communities to present the items – a divergent from the former system, where they were all made to converge at a common venue to take delivery.

The occasion is also used as an opportunity to evaluate the impact of the package on the economic activities of PWDs in that community, who had formerly benefitted.

Mr. Alexander Frimpong, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said as a social intervention policy meant to protect the vulnerable in society, it was important to gauge the impact to determine whether the desired result was being achieved.

He was of the view that presenting the items to beneficiaries in the respective communities would discourage beneficiaries from selling them as residents may witness the presentation, and would identify the items when they are put out for sale.

“Additionally, it would also eliminate the inconvenience and financial challenges that beneficiaries often face when the presentation is done at the District level,” he said.

The MCE said the Assembly was committed to prompt disbursement of the fund as and when it was available and implored the beneficiaries to put the package to good use.